If you are worried about paying your gas and electricity bills, help is available. You can contact your energy supplier, explore payment choices, ask for help or get free confidential advice.

Contact your energy supplier

You should contact your energy supplier as soon as possible if you think you might have a problem paying a bill. Based on individual circumstances, your supplier may offer support such as: 

• reassessing or reducing debt repayment and bill payments for domestic customers in financial distress
• referring customers who are struggling to pay bills to organisations like Advice NI who offer free, independent debt advice 

Explore payment plans

If you are struggling with bills, it is better to agree a payment plan with your supplier rather than cancelling direct debits and letting debt build up. 

Free and confidential advice

If you are struggling, free advice is available. If you are worried about debt or have already missed a payment you should consider getting free, confidential and independent debt advice. You can contact:

• the government sponsored Money Advice Service (part of the Money & Pensions Service) can help you find support - a range of choices are available from its Debt advice locator.
• the Advice NI Money Talks service. has information to help manage your money

More information about energy

The Consumer Council offers an energy price comparison tool to compare electricity and gas tariffs for all suppliers in Northern Ireland. This could help you save money on your electricity or gas bill. They also give free advice and can investigate complaints about natural gas and electricity.

The Natural Gas NI website has information about the gas network operators, who the suppliers are and the support the companies give.

The NI Energy advice line also offers free comprehensive advice on saving energy in the home, energy efficiency grants and more help that may be available to you.